


A Dreadful Calling

by StrawberryAeris



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games), Hollow Knight Silksong (Video Games)
Genre: Anxiety, Arguing, Bells, Blood and Injury, Drabble, F/F, Lace and Sharpe have potty mouths, No one is having a good time, Panic, Rescue Missions, War Mention, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:54:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25746211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryAeris/pseuds/StrawberryAeris
Summary: A drabble about Lace realizing that Hornet reached the Citadel and is in danger and she's NOT happy about it.
Relationships: Hornet/Lace (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	A Dreadful Calling

The bells rang, but it was a terrible tune to Lace.

So many of them rang, and though an unfamiliar tune, Lace hated it. She _loathed_ it. What did it mean? What did _any_ of it mean?

She traveled alongside with the rest of the assassins in Greymoor to investigate the drama being held there.

“There’s so many bugs. Do you think the spider might’ve been here?” Sharpe asked.

“Affirmative,” one of the assassins replied.

“We’ll have to take a good look around here and find some evidence.”

Lace took a quick scan of the area around her until she saw something. She saw an injured warrior from afar. A few bugs surrounded him. Yet, Lace recognized them. She froze. She wanted to investigate. She _needed_ to investigate. For that she believed that they could have the answer she needed. She clenched her fists and pin, jumped off the short cliff they were on, and ran.

“Where are you going?” Sharpe noticed. “Lace! _LACE!_ ”

Lace kept running with no control of her body. She ran through the crowd till she reached her target.

“Come on!” Sharpe commanded the assassins as they all decided to follow her.

Lace then stopped herself, “Seth!” she called out. Seth, Shakra, and Sherma all faced her.

“You?” Shakra answered for Seth, though that wasn’t something he would answer with. Sherma backed away from Seth as Lace approached him.

“What’s happened?” Lace asked him. Seth took a few breaths, still holding his bleeding arm. “The spider...the spider…she’s-” he then winced at the pain in his arm and face.

“Tell me, please!”

“The spider...she’s reached the peak...the kingdom…”

Lace’s eyes widened and her heart dropped. She could already feel the panic run through her entire body that could even make her tremble. Yet, she only let out a faint “What?”.

“The cultists….the rulers...they know of her presence. They noticed the Weavers...the cultists...the rulers...they plan to annihilate her. I couldn’t stop them. There were so many of them.”

Lace fell silent. She knew it. The bells, warning her of the dreadful news that was brought upon her. Everything in her body, her mind, her gut, all were right.

“Lace!” Sharpe called, “What-”

“Hornet’s at the citadel,” Lace stated.

“W-What?”

“The spider is at the citadel!” Lace repeated, raising her voice. 

Sharpe and the assassins were also shocked about the news, but less than how Lace was. They then heard a traveller about to run towards them.

“HO! Fellas!” Garmond called out. They turned their heads towards him and Zaza. “Didn’t cha hear?”

“Why are there so many people here?!” Lace asked him, cutting him off.

“That’s why I’m here, miss! There’s spiders all over the place! Something must’ve called them here or someone must’ve released them somewhere, I don’t know!” Garmond explained.

Hornet, Lace thought. She knew she could be the only responsible for such action.

“The citadel and some parts of the kingdom are loooaded with spiders and the citadel’s followers. They keep going up against each other and mangle each other up. So, a lot of the citizens are coming over here or locking themselves in their own habitats.” Zaza added.

“The citadel, what about the citadel? Is it locking up too?” Lace asked, but with panic in her voice.

“Well I’m pretty sure so, all of the mayhem is mainly happening over there, so I’m sure there’s no way in or out of there.”

“AH SHIT!” Lace yelled. Panic ran through her veins and body faster than she has ever felt. Hornet was in danger. But why did she care _this_ badly? What was she even feeling at this point? There were so many other Weavers that have had the same fate, why is it all of the sudden she cares so deeply _now_?

“She’s in the building...she’s in that goddamn building!” Lace said to herself as she held her wrists to her forehead.

“Is there anything we can do?” Sherma questioned. 

Lace stared off, looking at the exact direction where if she were run straight to the citadel without taking any other direction. She knew this kingdom well. She was taught this skill well. The citadel, even if not seen, Lace was already locked on target. 

“Aid him,” Lace spoke, pointing her pin towards Seth without even turning to their direction.

“What are you doing?” Sharpe asked her, slowly approaching.

“I’m going there.”

Sharpe’s eyes widened a little. 

“Wh- Lace, did you NOT hear what this guy’s steed just said?!” one of the assassins said while pointing at Zaza. Zaza only glanced over and gave them that ‘Really?’ face. “There’s no way to get in or out!”

“To hell with it! I’m gonna find a way in there! I’m gonna get her out of there!” Lace exclaimed.

“Are you crazy?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” Sharpe asked aggressively.

“If it means the spider gets to live, then yes!”

“Why are you so attached to this goddamn beast?! Didn’t you want to kill it before?! Why is this one any different from the others?! Why are you all of a sudden wanting this thing to live?! Do you like it or something?!”

She did. She thought of Hornet as her partners spoke to her. The times where they ran into each other, times she saw Hornet succeeding, the times they’ve fought which led to them dancing, the time she held her, the time they first met. She really did grow feelings towards her. But she couldn’t tell them that, nor even herself.

“Listen, you little bitch!” Lace snapped at Sharpe, “This ‘beast’ has done a lot to save this godforsaken hell of a kingdom and it would NOT be worth it if the cultists get the best of her and let the kingdom fall back into hell again! This spider’s life is worth living and I’m not gonna let her life be taken by these heathens! I’m going to the citadel and getting her out of there, even if it kills me!”

Sharpe took a few steps back from her, but she still approached him. 

“You’re staying here to aid this warrior and these other bugs while I’m gone, _UNDERSTAND?!_ ” Lace roared at them.

They all froze. Sherma then tried to hide behind Seth’s leg, which Seth helped out a little bit. They all just look at each other as Sharpe glared at Lace.

“ _Fine,_ ” he sighed before being up close to Lace’s face. “If you really care for it that fucking much, then so be it. But just know you’re in deep shit either if you die or not. Use your life wisely, worm.”

Lace hissed at him as he backed away from her to join back with the other assassins.

“I-Is it alright if we join you, Miss Lace?” Sherma asked softly.

Lace huffed, “I recommend you don’t. But if you ever do so desire to aid me in this and risk your own safety, take action.”

Lace then darted away.

Sharpe gave a sharp stare at Sherma, Seth, and Shakra to then pull out a small sample of silk out from one of his pauldrons and toss it to Sherma, which bopped Sherma in the face and landed on the ground. Zaza picks it up for him, which he thanked them for, and looked up to thank Sharpe as well, but only to see him already leaving.

“Where are you going?” one of the assassins asked Sharpe.

Sharpe paused for a small moment, “If Lace wants to waste her life for one simple beast, then why don’t we just deal with the other beasts and cultists around the kingdom?”

“Eh-...Are you sure about that?! Dealing with a mob is _far_ more insane than risking your life for another. It made more sense with her than-”

“Lace is a lunatic. A fool. I’d rather stop this war going on than to fall for something we were meant to kill throughout our whole lives.”

The assassins fell silent. It was only just the three of them now. Though yes, they believed that Sharpe’s statement about stopping a war was true, they didn’t feel all that glad about him insulting Lace for wanting to save someone who was a species they were always told to kill off if seen. Was assassinating more people even worth it to them anymore?

“We’ll get enough supplies and such to take them all down. I’m sure we’ll be fine if we’re stealthy enough and there’s hiding spots for us to hunt. Come on,” Sharpe commanded as he stormed back into the crowd.

The assassins really didn’t have much of a choice, so they followed suit.

“Sherma, can you hand me the silk?” Shakra asked.

“Hm? Oh,” Sherma got up to hand her the silk sample. Shakra started to untwine the strands to then wrap around Seth’s injuries.

“Don’t worry, mister, we’ll help you with your wounds!” Sherma said to Seth.

“I...I could’ve done this on my own, but...thank you for your aid, uh...what do you go by?”

“Sherma, sir!”

“Ah...thank you, Sherma.”

Sherma nodded with an enlightened expression on his face. He turned to Shakra, “What are we going to do about this whole thing, Shakra?”

“Don’t really know, kiddo. We could help Lace with her mission, since her comrades look like they don’t wanna engage in helping her,” Shakra responded.

“Is Miss Hornet gonna be ok?”

“For the meantime, I’m sure. Her and Lace are tough cookies, I can tell ya. But with the amount of bugs fighting out there, I’m not sure. If we were to help Lace, we would probably need more recruits. Going out there alone is dangerous enough.”

“We can join you!” Garmond spoke, “We can all travel to the holy citadel AND help our spidey friend! It be like a rescue mission!”

“Well I guess that’s settled,” Shakra said, “Are you willing to come with us, sir?”

Seth hesitated, “I shan’t. I shall stay here. I feel more safe here than back to where I used to be.”

Shakra eyes widened a little, but she nodded.

Shakra continued to tend Seth’s wounds as they discussed their plan to help with Lace’s mission.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't really know if I should continue this or not, but I really just wanted to write about Lace panicking over Hornet.


End file.
